Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s stay protection of the FIFA World Cup third place play-off between Croatia and Morocco, occurring on the Khalifa International stadium.
FULL-TIME
2018 runners-up Croatia finishes third after a 2-1 win towards Morocco. The Atlas Lions’ frontline was wonderful however it’s their protection that allow them down with fixed errors. Croatia in the meantime, capitalised on these errors and scored targets on the proper time. Morocco got here so near scoring within the dying minutes of the added time however En Nesyri’s header went broad.
90+6’
CLOSEE!!!!! Morocco received its one final likelihood at equalising as En Nesyri received a lofted ball contained in the field. He tries to go it however the ball lands on prime of the online!!!
90’
Six added minutes
90’
Hakimi runs into the ultimate third on the best and whips out a lofted cross. The ball finds a few Moroccan gamers however goes out ultimately. Morocco gamers encompass the match official as they felt it was a handball however a fast VAR examine mentioned in any other case
87’
WHAT A CHANCE!! Superb run from Kovacic as he will get the ball contained in the field. He shoots but it surely goes simply broad!
85’ YELLOW CARD
Amallah challenges for the ball with Pasalic and the referee awards a free kick for Croatia. Following a arguement, Amallah is booked
81’
Petkovic leads the Croatian assault but once more. He will get the ball into the penalty field on the left and tries to cross it however Benoun places in a well timed slide sort out
76’
WHAT A SAVE!!! Livakovic it’s! En Nesyri will get the ball contained in the field in shut quarters and lets out a shot however Livakovic geese to dam it
74’
Petkovic lets out an excellent by ball as Gvardiol will get the ball contained in the field earlier than falling down. The referee decides to let the sport proceed and a Morocco counter begins.
70’
Morocco is letting Croatia have the ball and that would show harmful. That is strictly what has occurred right here. Petkovic exterior the field, lets one fly and it goes very near the crossbar
69’ YELLOW CARD
Ounahi is booked for protesting towards a free-kick
68’ Forced substitution for Morocco
Yet one other participant is injured. Amallah replaces Yamiq because the latter suffered a hamstring harm
66’ Substitutions for Croatia
Livaja OUT, Pasalic IN; Majer OUT, Petkovic IN
64’ Substitutions for Morocco
Dari OUT, Benoun IN; Boufal OUT, Zaroury IN
63’
Attack brews for Croatia on the left. Gvardiol places a nicely thought backheel to seek out Majer who runs into the ultimate third earlier than placing a by ball in the direction of Livaja however it’s intercepted
61’ Substitution for Croatia
Kramaric OUT, Vlasic IN
59’
Looks like Kramaric has pulled his hamstring. The Croatian ahead walks weeping as he won’t be able to proceed taking part in. Croatia is at the moment taking part in with 10 gamers
Ounahi – A drive to reckon with
Morocco’s Ounahi has accomplished 77 per cent of his tried take-ons on the 2022 World Cup (10/13), the best price of any participant to aim a minimum of 10.
55’ Substitution for Morocco
Bilal El Khannous OUT, Azzedine Ounahi IN
53’
Morocco’s protection is examined again and again by the Croatian frontline. Kovacic does nicely contained in the field and places in a by ball to seek out Majer deep inside however Bono will get management of the ball after a little bit of wrestle from the protection
51’
Lovely little bit of soccer from Croatia. Modric initiates the assault from the Croatia half and finds Stanisic within the center. The latter then whips out a harmful lengthy ball and finds Kramaric however Yamiq intercepts in time
47’
SO CLOSE!!! Space from the Moroccan protection results in a Croatian assault on the left. Orsic will get the ball exterior the field and lets it fly but it surely brushes previous the online after a deflection from Amarbat
Second-half begins
Morocco begins this time and can look to maintain taking part in the best way it performed within the earlier half
HALF-TIME
An eventful first 45 minutes come to an finish. Morocco, despite the fact that being the higher trying crew this half, is trailing after Orsic’s stunner proper earlier than the half time whistle blew.
45+2’
Yet one other harm scare for Morocco as Achraf Dari is down in ache. Looks like a hamstring harm as he’s seen clutching his thigh proper after getting up
45+1’
Gvardiol’s miscues a header deep contained in the Croatian half, En Nesyri tries to get to the ball however Livakovic rushes in to gather it
45’
Two added minutes
42’ GOAAALLLLL
CROATIA TAKES THE LEAD AND IN SOME STYLE!! ORSIC scores a stunner from the sting of the field because the ball hits the crossbar and goes contained in the aim. Morocco had the momentum using in the direction of it however its protection fails to help but once more
40’
Ziyech makes an excellent run within the center, skipping previous three defenders and digs out an extended ranger however the ball goes out with out troubling Livakovic
39’
Modric will get the ball deep contained in the left flank however Yamiq marks him to perfection
37’
Corner for Morocco and Ziyech takes it. His lofted ball finds En Nesyri’s head however the ball goes agonisingly near the aim publish! Morocco deserves to take the lead for the type of soccer it has performed for the previous quarter-hour
35’
Free kick for Morocco as Gvardiol pushes Sabiri down. Ziyech takes the kick as ordinary and places in a looking lob ball however it’s headed away
33’
SO CLOSE!! Morocco has picked up tempo now. Boufal leads the assault on the left and finds El Khannous and will get the ball again contained in the field. He registers a shot however Croatian protection steps up because the ball goes out for a aim kick
29’
UNLUCKYY!! Ziyech initiates a Moroccan assault with a beautiful transfer to seek out Hakimi on the best. The PSG defender goes into the ultimate third and whips out a cross however En-Nesyri fails to get a contact
25’
Morocco concedes a free-kick. Majer takes it and sends in a lofted ball in an effort to seek out Kramaric contained in the field however the striker is caught offside
24’
Sloppy defending from Morocco continues. Allah will get a rebound contained in the field however hits it straight to Livaja. He finds Modric on the fringe of the field and the Real Madrid playmaker takes a few steps and dishes out a low shot, that nutmegs Dari, however Bono retains the ball out
22’
After being compelled to play in its personal half for couple of minutes, Morocco begins to counter lastly as Bono lets out an extended throw to seek out Sabiri. The latter runs into the Croatian half however is intercepted by Majer
20’
After an electrifying first 10 minutes, the groups have taken a step again and are combating to maintain as a lot possession as they’ll. As of now, Croatia seems to be extra threatening comparitively
18’
CHANCE!! Kramaric makes a good run to achieve the sting of the field earlier than passing it to Orsic on the left however the latter fails to capitalise the opening because the ball clattered into his teammate
15’
Brilliant piece of defending from the scorer Dari. A Livaja-Kramaric hyperlink up led Croatia’s assault because the latter lashed out a shot however Dari slided in between to maintain the ball away from hazard
13’
Gvardiol from the Croatian half sends in a low stored by ball on the left flank however the ball travels quicker than Perisic for a Moroccan aim kick
11’
Sabiri within the center tries a by ball in an try to seek out Ziyech however Kramaric intercepts and the ball goes out for a Moroccan throw
9’
Free kick for Morocco. Ziyech places in an extended ball, it takes a deflection and goes on to Dari who heads it contained in the publish. Gvardiol’s aim is cancelled inside minutes!!
6’
Kramaric is down as he’s fouled by Amarbat and it’s a free-kick for Croatia. Majer takes the kick and places a lofted ball into the penalty field that finds Perisic’s head and he passes it to Gvardiol and the masked man heads it previous bono!! A memorable World Cup outing for the quantity 20 and he has topped it off with a aim!!
4’
Modric is incharge of the nook and sends in a looking lob ball however Morocco clears it after preliminary wrestle
3’
Bono!! A sloppy kick from the Moroccan keeper nearly goes into his personal internet. Luck favours him because the ball goes out for a Croatian nook
2’
Attack from Dalic’s facet right away as Modric runs into the Moroccan half however Yamiq sweeps the ball out
KICK-OFF
Andrej Kramaric will get his first contact of the sport as Croatia begins left to proper
T-5
We are simply minutes away from the third place match and the gamers have made their means into the center. Time for nationwide anthems. Croatia has opted for a 3-5-2 formation whereas Morocco will begin with 4-1-2-3.
8:20pm: Ivan Perisic has scored six World Cup targets for Croatia – yet one more would make him their outright prime scorer within the competitors, surpassing Davor Suker.
8:10pm: Regardless of the consequence, Morocco taking part on this match is the furthest an African nation has ever reached in World Cup historical past.
8:00pm: This is Croatia’s second third-place play-off match within the World Cup, beforehand beating Netherlands 2-1 within the 1998 version.
If you’re questioning why Moroccan captain Romain Saiss shouldn’t be beginning at present, right here is the reply
7:50pm: Croatia has stored a clear sheet in all three of its earlier World Cup matches towards African sides, beating Cameroon 4-0 in 2014, Nigeria 2-0 in 2018, and drawing 0-0 with Morocco this yr.
7:45pm: This is the second assembly between Croatia and Morocco at this World Cup, having performed out a 0-0 draw on matchday one. Croatia was restricted to 5 pictures, its fewest ever in a World Cup match.
Starting lineups!
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic, Josip Stanisic, Ivan Perisic, Lovro Majer, Mateo Kovacic, Andrej Kramaric, Luka Modric, Marko Livaja, Mislav Orsic, Josko Gvardiol, Josip Sutalo
Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Jawad El Yamiq, Sofyan Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, Soufiane Boufal, Youssef En-Nesyri, Achraf Dari, Bilal El Khannouss, Yahya Attiat-Allah
PREVIEW
To some, it’s little greater than a meaningless exhibition match. To others, it’s an opportunity to turn out to be “immortal.”
The third-place playoff on the World Cup generally is a complicated idea.
“You are so disappointed, you’ve just lost a semifinal and then two days later you have to go back out there,” Morocco coach Walid Regragui mentioned Friday.
Regragui’s history-making crew — the primary African nation to achieve the World Cup semifinals — will play Croatia on Saturday at Khalifa International Stadium.
“It’s like the booby prize,” Regragui mentioned. “I am sorry for speaking like this. I understand that it should be important, I understand that it is better to finish third than fourth, but for, me my takeaway is that we just didn’t get to the final.”
Predicted lineups
Croatia: Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Sutalo, Sosa; Modric, Jakic, Kovacic; Vlasic, Kramaric, Perisi
Morocco: Bono; Hakimi, El-Yamiq, Dari, Attiyat-Allah; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Morocco’s run to the semifinals in Qatar offered probably the most inconceivable story of the event. The crew was additionally the primary Arab nation to go up to now in soccer’s largest occasion, producing an outpouring of delight amongst Arab nations.
After such a wild and dizzying journey, it’s comprehensible that Regragui sounded so flat when looking forward to the match towards Croatia. It’s additionally a measure of his personal ambition that he ends an unforgettable event for African soccer with a way of disappointment after being crushed by defending champion France 2-0.
“Yes, finishing third would be great for our image. We would be on the podium,” the coach mentioned. “But you know what, even if we win the game tomorrow we won’t have got to the final and we won’t have won the World Cup.”
The environment from the Croatian facet has been extra upbeat.
The runners-up from the final World Cup in Russia misplaced to Argentina 3-0 within the different semifinal match, however their gamers have spoken of the significance of successful one other medal.
Forward Andrej Kramarić described it as the prospect to “become an immortal hero in your country.”
“Eight of us from (the tournament in) Russia understand that feeling of winning a medal at the World Cup and we have a lot of players who haven’t experienced that and would love to do that because it’s something that will stay with you for the rest of their life,” Kramarić mentioned.
Luka Modric, who is probably going taking part in in his final World Cup, had related ideas.
“We need to leave everything to win the bronze medal and let our fans celebrate one more time,” he mentioned.
To end second and third in back-to-back World Cups would additional safe the legacy of a golden era for Croatia.
“Saturday’s match is not a small one for us, but a big final, a fight for third place, for a medal,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić mentioned. “We have to prepare in every sense. It’s a big thing if we take the bronze medal, that would be great.
“The difference is being third or fourth in the world, we will do everything to do that.”
Morocco and Croatia have already performed one another at this yr’s World Cup, a 0-0 draw within the group stage.
Also Read | Morocco’s World Cup success boosts academy that produces expertise
“We know that Croatia got a lot of stick because they weren’t able to beat Morocco,” Regragui mentioned. “Morocco was one of the underdogs and now we both reached the semifinals.”
Injured Morocco heart again Romain Saiss, the crew’s captain, will miss the sport after lasting solely 21 minutes towards France. Noussair Mazraoui, additionally substituted in that match, is a doubt.
“We have really, really pushed our players to the limits, but they still want to go out tomorrow and play again,” Regragui mentioned. “But we are not going to be taking risks tomorrow for some of our players.”
-AP
When and the place to observe
When will the Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match kick-off?
The Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match will kick-off at 8:30 pm IST, December 17.
Where will the Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match kick-off?
The Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match will kick-off on the Khalifa International Stadium.
Where are you able to watch the Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match in India?
The Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match can be telecasted stay on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. On Android and nicely as iOS, the 2022 FIFA World Cup can be stay streamed on JioCinema.
Where are you able to watch the Croatia vs Morocco third place play-off match exterior India?
Argentina – Live Stream: Telemundo
United States – TV: FOX, Telemundo; Live Stream: fuboTV, Fox Sports app, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada – TV: CTV, TSN; Live Stream: fuboTV, TSN app
United Kingdom – TV: BBC One; Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website
Australia – TV: SBS; Live Stream: SBS On Demand
New Zealand – TV: Sky Sports; Live Stream: Sky Sport
Malaysia – TV: RTM, Astro; Live Stream: Astro Go
Singapore – TV: Mediacorp Channel 5; Live Stream: StarHub TV+, IPTV, Singtel TV
Hong Kong – TV: BeIN Sports, ITV; Live Stream: Now TV, ViuTV
Nigeria – TremendousSport and Showmax Pro.